Doubt
by kate657
Summary: He always knew his father was a bad guy. He just never thought of him as a murderer. Oneshot.


_Disclaimer: All characters from One Tree Hill are property of Mark Schwahn and those at Tollins/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. All stories, original plotlines and characters are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement._

_Author's Note: This was written for Tubealicious 911's Character Centric challenge. This is a deleted scene from the 4th season finale in which Lucas confirms that Dan Killed Keith and also a look at how Nathan deals with it before he confronts Dan. _

_Thanks to Christina for editing_

* * *

**Doubt**

"I don't believe you," I told her.

My mother looks at me sympathetically. "I know it's hard to accept, Nathan, but I'm telling you the truth," she said.

"No," I shake my head at her. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie?" she challenges me.

My mind began coming up with a million and a half reasons that made sense as to why my mother would lie about my father. But I couldn't quite make myself believe that she would label him a murderer.

She could call him a bad husband. That I would believe because I knew it was true.

A bad father too.

But why would she call him a murderer? I couldn't wrap my head around that.

"Exactly," she said, sensing my inability to come up with an answer. "It sounds ludicrous when you think about it, I know that. But your father has always resented Keith."

"I resented Lucas at first but that doesn't mean I could kill him," I defend.

"It's not the same thing," she reasons.

"Why would Dad kill Keith?" I ask.

"Karen," she supplies easily.

That was it. That was the reason. Karen Roe was the one thing that Keith had that my dad would never have while he was around. It made sense but I still refused to believe it.

"That doesn't mean he would kill his brother," I argue even as I subconsciously realize that Dan Scott would do anything to get what he wants in the back of my mind.

"He did," she says with no sympathy.

I back away from my mother, looking at her with a new emotion. Hate. "You would say anything to get me to turn on him, even spread vicious lies," I say and then leave before she has a chance to argue with me.

I wander around aimlessly for a while, knowing that my father would never kill his own brother but wondering if why my mother would say he did if he didn't at the same time.

I'm confused. I think I know what's true but I've been fooled before. So I go to the only person that I trust would tell me the truth about this- my own brother.

"How's your mom?" I ask as I appear in the doorway of Karen Roe's hospital room.

Lucas looks up at me, his eyes widening in surprise at first but then a spark of something appears in them as he looks at his mother's sleeping form in the bed helplessly.

"She's still the same," he replies.

"And the baby?" I inquire.

"They took her to run some tests," he tells me and explains about measurements that they need to take for newborns and such.

"At least your sister's healthy," I say.

He smiles at me in appreciation, but I can tell I haven't told him anything he really wants to know as he glances at his mother worriedly again.

"I need to talk to you," I announce, keeping my voice low and serious.

He looks up at me in confusion but as soon as our gazes lock, he seems to sober up, realizing that I've been delivered a serious blow. I note that he hasn't even heard what I'm about to say but shrug it off as we walk out to the hallway.

"What's going on?" he asks.

"I talked to my mom earlier," I begin to explain.

"She told you," Lucas nods.

"Told me what?" I press, though I already know the answer.

"About Dan," he answers.

"She told you too?" I ask, wondering why even Lucas would believe it.

"No, I told her," Lucas corrects me.

So my mom didn't come up with the idea, I realize and then glare at my brother in anger.

"Why did you tell her something so ridiculous?" I ask.

Now Lucas glares at me in anger. "It's the ridiculous truth. Dan Scott murdered my uncle," he fires back.

"Our uncle," he amends.

"My dad wouldn't kill his own brother," I say again.

"Dan thought that Keith was the one that set the dealership fire," Lucas tells me, and I can tell that he's trying to explain something to me.

"My mom did that," I argue.

"Yes, but Keith told Dan that he did it to protect Deb," Lucas explains.

"But Dad knows that my mom set the fire now," I say.

"But he didn't know then. He killed Keith because he thought Keith tried to kill him," Lucas says.

"So it was payback?" I ask.

"I guess," Lucas replies, obviously unsure.

"If you don't know why he did it, how do you know he did it?" I ask.

"Because Abby told me he did it, she saw him shoot Keith that day," Lucas explains.

"Abby?" I repeat the name, noting the familiarity.

"Abby Brown from the tutor centre," Lucas answers.

"Jimmy let her go because she needed her insulin," I argue.

"She didn't leave the school because she was scared something would happen to you guys so she hid in Whitey's office," Lucas says.

"Are you sure she's not lying to you?" I ask.

"Why would she lie about something that's obviously been troubling her?" he challenges.

"I don't know. Let me talk to her," I say.

"You can't. She's gone," he tells me regretfully.

"That's convenient," I comment.

"For Dan, yeah, he's the one that threatened her," Lucas explains.

"Were you there when that supposedly happened?" I ask.

"No," Lucas shakes his head.

"Then you don't know that for sure," I say.

"It stands to reason that if he found out Abby knew about what he did, he would try to convince her to leave," Lucas says rationally.

"I can't believe you're putting stock in what that girl says. Jimmy Edwards killed Keith and then himself, not Dan Scott," I say.

"Jimmy didn't kill Keith. He wouldn't do that," Lucas shouts hotly.

I clearly hit a nerve. "He shot Peyton," I remind him.

"That was an accident!" Lucas exclaims.

"Jimmy was out of his mind that day, Luke, I was there," I say.

"You don't know him," Lucas says. "He loved Keith, and Abby said that Keith was trying to help Jimmy but he shot himself. Then Dan came along and shot Keith after Jimmy was already dead."

I shake my head in refusal at him. I can't believe some girl over my own father, I tell myself.

Lucas steps toward me and puts a hand on my shoulder in comfort. "I'm not lying to you, Nathan. Dan shot Keith. I didn't want to believe it either and I understand that you don't right now, but you also didn't see Abby. She was scared to death of him," he explains.

"She's a good person," Lucas adds.

I nod and walk away, not denying that but unsure if I believe it.

Where there was certainty, there is now doubt.

Doubt about how well I think I know my father. Doubt about whether or not my mom and my brother are telling the truth.

"Nathan?" she calls from down the hall.

I turn around and smile at my pregnant wife who is now walking to meet me.

"Hey," I say quietly, pulling her close for a hug.

Haley pulls back slightly to look at me and I can see the concern form in her eyes. She knows something's wrong.

She smiles at me and leans in for another hug. "Are you okay?" she asks, her voice muffled by my shoulder but I can hear how worried she is. I tighten my arms around her in response.

"I'm fine," I say when we pull apart.

She looks at me doubtfully. "Are you sure?"

I smirk at her. "Yeah, I just have to go see my dad," I answer.

She tells me to hurry back and I leave out that I'm going to find out if my dad is a murderer.


End file.
